In your Molotov-y Tuesday media column: London is unsafe for journalists, Alec Baldwin likes newspapers, Time magazine is beating the piss out of Newsweek, News of the World staffers get severance offers, KING magazine remembered, and scientists vs. journalists.

The riots in London seem to be somewhat dangerous for members of the press! Reporters are being chased, their vehicles are being smashed, and photographers are being attacked, among other outrages against the free dissemination of videos of easily identifiable people committing crimes. The CPJ today issued a statement saying "We are very concerned that the social unrest has spread to aggression against journalists." How do you like that, rioters? On a related note, former Gawkerer Ravi Somaiya's Twitter feed is the preeminent way to learn about the riots in real time.

Weekly magazine circulation was largely flat in the first half of the year, but: Newsweek was down by 5%, while Time magazine was up by 16%. Anxiously awaiting your dismissive, forward-looking response, Tina Brown!

The laid-off staffers at newly disgraced and folded Murdoch tabloid News of the World are now being offered lucrative severance packages if they'll pick up and leave, rather than be assigned jobs elsewhere in the News Corp empire. Take it. Take it! TAKE IT!

Here's a worthwhile look at the rise and fall of KING magazine, the black version of GQ or Maxim or (insert other generic men's mag here). "The pressure became quite great to put ass on the cover." There's much more.

And here's an interesting and evenhanded look at why scientists and journalists sometimes have trouble communicating to their own mutual benefit. Is it because scientists are dorks who tend to drone on forever when I just need one fucking quote? No? Whatever, you're boring me.